***New*** Thrifty Gifty Money Making for Christmas and all occasions 2011***

bunbun2

Mum2three sorry to hear about oh's job

All your nativty.plays.soundreallycute

Sorry about.the.badtyping i am using my newtablet its driving mee mad thinki will call it a night!

Karonher

Not sure where to start as I have not been on for about a week and have just caught up reading about 10 pages of posts yesterday and today.

Happy birthday to bunbun and was it savvy who was celebrating as well?

It sounds as though all the nativity plays have gone off really well. They spend so much time practicing then they are over so soon.

Stepmum-sorry about your Gran - hopefully she will settle in to wherever you are able to find for her. It may take away some of her independance but at least help will always be close by if she neds anything.

Cornish chick - hopefully that will be the end of the bad luck with the car.

I have had quite a busy week with mystery shopping so most of this week has spent reading up on companies and filling in forms. Have had to pass on loas of surveys but as most were GTM would probably been screened out.

Got very behind on DY and C so am hoping to get a few products on over the weekend and spend time rating. If I can get £25 on C this month I will be really happy and its great to see how well some of you are doing.

Hope you all have a good weekend. xx

elysia2003

Karoner - get two on a day for the rest of the month (excepting Christmas of course) and you can EASILY make £25.

Stepmum - you offload all you like. Why isn't your sister supporting you instead of blaming you. Surely she would have done the same thing! You want what's best for her.

You have NOTHING to feel guilty about? AT ALL. Don't you get upset hun. You'll make yourself ill too, and no-one wants you to do that, at anytime, not just Christmas. Come on, once your Mum and Dad are home tomorrow, you can have a good chat, and get them up to speed, and all together you can work to get her home again, if that's what your Gran wants. You have to be strong and fight for it.

Stepmum - I know you're really busy, but please keep us updated, and let us know how your gran is.

My BIL - was told last week he needs a triple heart bypass asap. He's got shingles too, so it's on hold now.

cha97michelle

stepmum sounds like a horrendous few weeks making those decisions, and such a shame your sister has not been more supportive. Your parents would have rushed home and probably could have done no different to you anyway, so I would feel you have done your best there and would not feel bad about it. Take it easy and let some of the stress go.

bunbun belated birthday wishes. Meant to say Happy Birthday earlier but been on the go all day again.

karonher nice to see you hon. It is a mental month, so just do what you can on c. I'm sure you'll make that target. We are all storming through it.

I had 3 things all added in one go earlier. I hate it when they do that. Oh well. I'd also added something myself a little while before that. I am sure it will be fine in the end.

DH is now apparently working tomorrow a full 12 hour day, so I really do need to get my bum in gear and do something other than c like finish the cards as tomorrow is last date for 2nd class posting. I've also tons of cleaning, washing and knitting to do. I am not very organised at all.

I hit £25 on dy - so going to claim an amazon voucher there. Must remember to check viva this weekend too.

jamtart6

Hello again! After having been a member for a mere 5 years, I have literally just figured out to find my past posts, so I can now catch up easily from where I left off (sorry if you thought i was ignoring anyone!).

Definitely need to be involved for 2012 - Amazon vouchers are what I want as most of what I buy is through there these days. Any suggestions on the best way to do this?

Looking forward to coming back to the fold and hopefully being more active in the thread for 2012!!

mum2one

I have just added up my spends for this yr, (not included the four of us)

Birthdays
est budget - £450
actual spend - £128
proper price - £530

Xmas
est budget - £545
actual spend - £241
proper price - £859.

All money neutral... and we culled the list from last yr, as our est spend last yr was over £750 for xmas, heres to another money saving yr. xx

mum2one

I think its a blessing they have, not 100% sure, never asked, i have a brain like a sieve. When you said about your church, as ours was a small one, but they now use that for kids parties, club etc, then they've built a round church at the back, that was over 20 yrs ago, time flies. I've got to back in touch with him after New Year, for timings etc, he's going to book the date.

The next headache!! will be sorting something out for the afternoon that be very mse! If they'd have done it on a sunday we could have gone for the 2 4 1 pub, we did my 40th, we paid for starters, mains, puds, and for 24 of us, the bill was £230.

depending on numbers -
Plan A - is to see if I can hire the church hall and make it an afternoon buffet, as mum can't get round far, and be jan so the weather, and if we have some of her cousins there all 60+..

Plan B - Local pub has a function room - see how cheap there buffet is or can we diy

Plan C - 2 4 1 pub, that only be if I can get under 20, (which be impossible.)

Bless DD saving her pocket money shes sounds a real sweetie.

Hope you've got plenty of money making for 2012... I'll be in def need! xx

elysia2003 wrote: »

That's sounds a lovely gift Mum2one - what are they having, A blessing? The church DD sang at last night is our local one, me and my sisters were all Christened there and DD1 too, plus mum and Stepdad, and my sis got married there. Sad thing is they are pulling it down soon They are building a new church and attatching it to the side of DD2's new school - building is just starting but it will take 18 months.

It's lovely to see you posting hun. You should come over this side more often. I know, I'm a fine one to talk, but you're like me, we think of our little groups as family don't we? and you're part of it, we miss you when you don't post.

Miss Hoodie is quite a character. DD2 saved up three months pocket money to buy pressies. All bought and paid for, and wrapped by herself. She keeps seeing things now, oh I wish I'd bought so and so that instead, so I have to buy that as well. Instead of one present each, we now have about four each off DD2 alone. Crafty wotsit - I can't complain though - she's so sweet. She's already planning on saving her next three lots of pocket money for my birthday present ..... in July.

mum2one

Savvy - thats brilliant passing the first TMA, your find your footing once xmas is over, I've done a TMA that is not due in till 4th Jan, but got 2 to do by xmas, had an extension on one, get there eventually.

Families are a pain in the rear at times, I'm just glad that we haven't got the other set of grandparents, Miss Hoodies not bothered, so worked out better. xx

elysia2003

Jammy - Welcome back hun. You're the expert, but there are a couple of new sites since you were on last year. Viva(tic) pays in Paypal, but you could use the cash to buy Amazon Vouchers. Swagbucks and THAT bingo site pay in Amazon too, and Valued Ops, Ipso, SH, in fact nearly all of them - it might be easier to say which ones don't - Mind M0ver, Panel B@se, Survey Netw0rk, and a couple more. I have a list of sites that I'm on, that I share with everyone, would you like a copy? You might find a couple of sites that you're not on, and can join up ready for the new year.

We updated your spreadsheet too (I hope you don't mind) - we like to post our monthly earnings at the end of each month - it helps motivate us, and spurs us on to keep going. We added a page to keep a tally the monthly earnings. I can send you that too, if you pm me your email address.

Mum2one - A buffet sounds the perfect thing - perhaps you could do it like a teaparty. All cucumber sandwiches and scones. That would be lovely during the summer.

Michelle - Sorry OH is having to do a 12 hour shift. Just think how much the money will help, and grit your teeth. I hope the boys behave for you. They are always so good, it should be ok. It might be a rush getting things done, but you'll do it, us women always do.

Hurray - it's the school holidays. Still didn't do the wrapping I promised myself I would, but I'll try and get it done today - I defininately don't won't to be wrapping on Christmas Eve when DD2 has gone to bed again.

Lovely and sunshiny here, still bitterly cold though. I'm going to try another couple of reviews again this morning, I'm not sure what OH's plans are for this afternoon, we'll find out later I suppose. See you later everyone - have a lovely day.

rufusdog52

Morning all

Hectic morning here, just waiting for OH to get back from his mates and we are off out again. I havent really got much done this morning on the computer as had other things to do, did managed a NV survey just now but will save the others for later and hope they are still open when I get back.

Hi Jammy, nice to see you back again, will be lovely if you join in more next year, it will be like the old days xx